Time After Time
by ChiiRyeeBiee
Summary: Eight different names. Four different centuries. Two simple people. One shared fate. Draco Malfoy remembers glimpses of the past, images of a black-haired, green-eyed boy he believed he once knew. What are the chances of them meeting and falling in love, time and time again? "Because when one thing ends, another thing begins. It's not really goodbye when everything's just begun."


**Hi there, ChiiRyeeBiee in da house! How ya doin', dear reader? I don't even know what this is, LOL. It could probably be longer, but I'll just leave it as a one-shot. Behold, another one of my converted originals written JUST AFTER a two-month long Drarry phase. The inspiration came from a few son****gs and my desire to write something I can send in yet anothe****r competish. Let the Drarry rule! (・Д・)ノ **

**Le me does not own Harry Potter, and sheesh, if I owned any of my fandoms, they'd crash and burn into ashes of neverending yaoi. HAHAHA. Expect prose because that's how I roll, fluffy randomness, stupid ****timeline inaccuracies and setting fail xD I didn't want to change it so pretend the flashbacks are accurate. I'M SOWWY! D:**

**Please review** **(=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ**

**I hope it's-a alright, yaa? Author's note, Mischief Managed!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Time After Time<span>**

**Summary: **Eight different names. Four different centuries. Two simple people. One shared fate. Draco Malfoy remembers glimpses of the past, images of a black-haired, green-eyed boy he believed he once knew. What are the chances of them meeting and falling in love, time and time again? "_Because when one thing ends, another thing begins. It's not really goodbye when everything's just begun."_

* * *

><p><em>"Well if it isn't the nerdy Eddie. What's up with your hair? Did you wrestle with the straightener this morning?"<em>

_"Shut up, Liam."_

_"Oww, what did you do that for? You know I'm just teasing right?"_

_A snicker, a prod, a hard thwap on the shoulder..._

_"I don't care, it's not very nice."_

_"Pfft."_

_The excluded black-haired boy continued to bicker with his one and only rival, the most popular guy in high school. A monitoring English teacher shot them dark looks, shutting them both up._

_"Okay, I'm sorry. I was just keeping up a front."_

_"Do you really have to go that far as to insult my hair? You know we're really friends and yet you still mock me."_

_"Sorry."_

_"You better be sorry, hmph. Git."_

_"Wanker."_

_"Sod."_

_"I hate you."_

_Another snicker. "I love you too, you douche."_

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

...I've been waking up to the strangest dreams lately.

Hazy, distorted images of old and new - coloured worlds of war and women with parasols.

Glimpses of brick houses with red-roofed tiles; of blemished wood and abstract-patterned quilts a substitute for curtains.

Another boy.

I don't remember much about him, but I'm aware he's always been there. I dream of emerald orbs rivalling the hues of freshly cut grass. Ebony hair, wavy in the whispers of the wind. That illuminating smile. A lightning-shaped birthmark just above his eyebrows, barely covered by a portion of his fringe.

I dream about the previous day and the day before - of dragging myself to The Firm running on nothing but my favourite: a cup of Earl Grey tea in the morning. Of finally sending my proxyfolder to the boss based on the improvement of 2073's company budget plans, a month's work done and dusted.

It's weird, because time and time again I see these strange visions bleeding into my everyday thoughts. I'd see myself at my own home, reading magazines, or maybe sitting an exam in an ancient-looking building - its wallpapers bland and peeling. I'd be a baker's son, a war veteran, sometimes even practicing law in the old courthouses. And he'd be there, _whatever his name was,_ that same black-haired guy with the piercing green eyes. _Always there..._ even when he wasn't, really.

It terrifies me to think that I've been ageing way too fast for a twenty-five year old to start questioning such hallucinations. They say whenever one thing ends, another begins. I end my morning contemplations with a yawn and begin the day to snoozing the alarm of my Holo Transceiver, cheerful "Good morning Master Draco!"s muffled under my pillow.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

_"Hello there, are you lost? What's your name?"_

_An almost inaudible whisper..._

_"Haiden... I-I-I just need..."_

_"What do you need?"_

_Two children were huddled together at the front door of a bakery, the grey-eyed one offering warm hands to the boy who wore nothing but rags. The ground underneath was blanketed in ice._

_"I-I'm so hungry... and cold... and scared... The war... I don't want to be out here anymore..."_

_"Please... help... me..."_

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

It's spring. A crispy breeze caresses the loose petals of the surrounding flowering trees into a contemporary dance. Despite our current technologically-dominated era, wildlife continues to prosper as birds of many colours fly around streetlamps and ride the winds with leaves as fellow passengers.

After three hours of electronic filing in The Firm, I exit the building and walk towards the nearby park, children zipping past in their hover-scooters. A wooden bench remains inhabited no more as I take a generous bite of my lunch, the waters of the lake in front of me rippling under the cerulean skies. What a beautiful April day.

I'm about to draw out my Holo Transceiver to check on some important reminders when I catch the tone of a familiar voice. I've no idea why I'm drawn to it, but I look up to see who'd been yelling so loudly at this fairly quiet place. "HEY GUYS! YOU DROPPED SOMETHING!" A guy calls out to the group of scootering children. They exchange small chitchat as he hands over the aforementioned possession. Then just like that, they part ways. He stops momentarily, looking up at the sky, as if all of a sudden he's forgotten what he'd come here for.

It isn't until he draws just a little bit closer that I notice the guy wearing a rather outdated pair of spectacles. His black hair's all messy, like one of those, what's it called? The feather dusters Grandmother used for cleaning or something. As far as I know, nobody wears ripped jeans anymore. Clothes of today vary from neon colours and stretchable clothing - a one size fits all kind of thing. Still I find myself fascinated with this mysterious person.

No sooner than I begin to displace my odd thoughts of the stranger in the park, we make eye contact - nonchalant grey on curious green. I snap back to my device as to avoid suspicion, forgetting it ever happened. The next time I look up, it's to the usual scenery of the lake. The guy is long gone.

I have a feeling that isn't going to be the last I see of him.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

_"Haiden, what are you doing?" A young blonde dressed in fine clothes of back then was careful to evade the tiny saplings growing around the place. They were loitering around the river running through their quiet village; one bent over, the other standing. _

_"'M collecting water for the wheat. Uncle taught me how to plant seeds and he said they need lotsa water." The boy in question replied. He shook his raven mop of hair around, attempting to sidesweep his fringe out of his eyes._

_"Okay. I brought muffins. Do you need any help with carrying?"_

_"Yeah, thanks."_

_With the task at hand finished, the boys gave themselves time to relax over the hill nearby, watching the clouds drift away towards the horizon._

_"Thanks for assisting me today. I got the job done easier than usual."_

_A warmhearted smile. "No problem. I had nothing to do anyway. Plus, we're friends, even though the villagers think it's uncommon."_

_Green eyes searched for sincerity in the depths of the other's mercury orbs. __"We'll always be friends, right, Nicoli?" _

_A sputter, a laugh._

_"Whaa? Of course! As if that'll change, ha ha."_

_"Yeah." A contented sigh of relief. "Forever and ever and ever."_

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

We kept on seeing each other, even for just a few seconds of wordless communication, that mystery guy and I. Days turn into a few weeks and I'd see the guy hesitate to head over towards the flowering trees or feed the ducks swimming in the waters of the filtered lake. Every time, we'd make eye contact. A smile or two here, and if I'm particularly pleased about finishing a project at work, I wave back. One particular day in May however, it all stops. I'm sifting through the pages of my Holo novel, looking up every now and then to catch a glimpse of the same terrible taste in clothing; of black hair and reluctant sidestepping.

"Hi, umm, can I sit next to you?"

A tap lands on my shoulder before friendly emerald eyes greet my silver ones. His raven locks are that much more unkempt and free up close. Traces of freckles decorate the contours of his cheeks, and a faint scar adorns his forehead.

The guy from my dreams, as peculiar as that sounds, is standing right in front of me. I know I've never, ever, _ever_ met him before, but I feel as if I know him, if only in the back of my mind. I wonder why on Earth he seems so _very_ familiar to me.

"Yes, please do." is what I settle with as I move aside and turn another holographic page. He complies. A Holo Transceiver sits on his hands, and I catch the last three words of his glowing feed before he turns it off and pockets it.

_"Take care, Harry."_

Harry, huh. I don't know a Harry. As far as I can remember, I've never met one before. My brain must be playing tricks on me then.

"Wow. Umm. Uhh. Your Holo Transceiver has a nice colour. Err, it's new in store, isn't it?" he asks, and yet again our eyes meet as though we knew each other before. I nod and tell him my company's been developing the prototype for years, and now that they've perfected it, its release to the general public on time was a success.

"My name's Draco Malfoy." I say eagerly. "What's yours?"

"Harry James Potter. Most people just call me Harry. I work at a repair store just three streets away. Nice to meet you, _finally,_ ha ha." He replies, holding out a firm hand. I shake it and he smiles. Yet another familiar feature with which I've no words to explain why.

Harry and I become fast friends as he tells me interesting stories about his life so far. He's originally from Manchester, and he grew up in a smaller, less technologically developed city with both of his parents. Harry and I went to different universities, and he had a bachelor's degree for engineering, it seemed, but the guy was content with his current job so far. We share a similar love for champagne after dinner and fireworks come New Year's Day; little things that other people may have thought to be silly.

It's weird, how I feel like I've known him all my life even though today is honestly the first time I've seen him, or rather, been properly introduced to him. He didn't care about sharing his life story with me, a total stranger, a random passerby hanging around the park in his own spare time. What seemed like an hour flew by like five minutes, and by the end of my break we've swapped Holo Transceiver codes and parted with promises to meet again.

I watch him walk away with that all-too-familiar grin on his face like the cirrus clouds in the sky, drifting farther and farther out of reach. I'll see him again, I just know it. Besides, it's not really goodbye when everything's just begun.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

_"Alistair...?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"Close your eyes for a moment."_

_"H-huh? What are y-you..?"_

_Step…Step…Step…_

_"Just a few more steps… there. Look… This is the future we're staring at." The blonde said, uncovering his beloved's eyes. Emerald eyes blinked back at the sight._

_Two people stood before what seemed to be an enlarged basket tied to an even larger balloon. Sacks of rice dangled at its sides, and every now and then it lifted off the ground by an inch._

_"Wow! And we're seriously going to ride this thing?" _

_"That's the plan." He smiled back. "Let's be the first people to see the world from above."_

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Several months have passed after my fateful meeting with Harry, and to be honest, I wish we'd taken the time to talk to each other much sooner. From that day on I've had every lunch break at the park, and during my day offs we'd go to exotic places of interest. We celebrated Christmas and New Year's Day together, watching the skies light up with several colours of the rainbow, of course. We went ice sculpting in the winter and to Africa in autumn; Harry even got the opportunity to feed a baby tiger with a bottle.

Things are going great for the two of us. Like a postcard - everything was picture perfect. We were absolutely perfect.

Hopefully we would stay perfect.

It's summer again and though my skin bakes red under the shining sun, Harry and I have been to more beaches in this English city alone. As a nature-lover myself I find it hard to refuse his suggestions, although recently I've taken to applying a great dollops of SPF-50 on my UV-hating skin.

"Catch me if you can, Dray!" he hollers, meeting the waves with open arms. I chase him into the water, bracing myself for the violent fall when I trip over my feet. I surface after a few seconds, my flaxen hair dripping wet and sticking to the sides of my face. How dandy. Harry's laughter eventually echoes over.

"You should see your face right now! Hah! I should have gotten my DSLR-XIII; that would definitely make the record books of the world's weirdest expressions!" He points at me and snickers, even more so when I frown at the raven-haired's comment.

"I don't get what's so funny, really. I just fell."

He grins, green eyes soft and understanding. "That's just it though._ Perfect_ Draco and his_ perfect_ postures. I sometimes forget you're just as human as I am. You should smile more, love."

And I do. I tackle him into the sea when he least expects it, continuing our game of predator and prey. Just being with him like today… how can I not smile about it?

Harry makes me happy and likes the same things as I. We get along, and he is surprisingly open about his opinions to me. Sometimes we clash at the most irrelevant of subjects, and we banter like children until someone gives up. I've seen him at his worst when he spent weeks stressing about providing a blueprint for a new job opportunity. I've seen him at his best when I asked him out to my company's thirty-seventh anniversary party, and that time where he served as the best man at his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley's wedding. He's independent, strong-willed, and resilient. We've met just months ago but I feel as if I've known him all my life.

And maybe I want to spend the rest of that life with him.

The summer sun reaches its peak and shines down the earth like golden glitter. I see Harry in the center of it as he collects shells and pebbles from the sea to finish the sandcastle we made together. Compared to months, years are very, very long. But I know could do it. Staying with Harry for the rest of my life would not even be enough a time.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

_"I'm baaaack! I bought takeaways; it's in the kitchen."_

_"Oh, hey Liam. Welcome home."_

_It was autumn. A guy sat next a pile of maple leaves, leaning back against a tree with a book at hand._

_"I got home as soon as I could! I really wanted to get something after receiving my paycheck. My client was rather pleased I won the case!"_

_"Of course you did. So humour me. It's another video game isn't it?"_

_"Nope. Two guesses left."_

_"A wristwatch… or an iPad? I give up."_

_"Wrong and wrong. And now, for the great reveal!"_

_In his hands, a velvet box laced in ribbons of pastel colours… Inside the box sat a golden band encasing a jewel the colour of his eyes._

_"W-Whaa? I... Y-y-you didn't…!"_

_"Oh, but I did. I know we're still young, but someday I'll do great things. I want you to be there with me."_

_"I d-don't... know what t-to say..."_

_"How about yes? Will you do me the honour, Edmund Poulter, of letting me spend the rest of my limited life with you?"_

_Yellow and red leaves bounced into the air and crunched under the weight of the two lovers as they fell back on them, rejoicing the beginning of their lives as one._

_"YES!"_

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Year 2105. It was late in the evening when I catch a glimpse of a new Electrolyzer V rearing the driveway from our curtainless glass door. My abandoned cuppa is still warm when I take a sip of it before tarry over to the door to greet my visitors.

"Father! It's nice to see you again! Just got off from the office, you got my HoloMessage about dinner, right? I brought Aries. Frederick's still at work so he'll be running a little late. Where's Daddy?" My youngest daughter Lily greets me with joviality. A five year old boy jumps at me and I catch him in frail arms. I swear I heard my back make a none-too-pleasant crack.

"Thanks for coming, Lil. Dinner's your favourite spaghetti bolognese in the oven. Scorpius, come help out! Your dad's still in bed, sadly."

Lily frowns before taking Aries from me. Scorp comes in and keeps his nephew busy while Lily helps out with the table setting."He's been taking his medicine right? It's been weeks now. That's very unfortunate..."

I nod. Today is my and Harry's fortieth wedding anniversary. Our three genetically engineered kids, now in their late 20s, are visiting over to celebrate with us. Harry's been bedridden with old age. He's lost his smile and his vibrancy, but to me, he's still the same strong-willed, handsome man I fell in love with. His ebony hair's turned to a snow-like white, and his eyes have dulled to a lighter, fainter green. From days on end I watch him stare out into space, speaking of the will he plans to legalize before the end of the year.

Where did the years go? Of youth and happiness together? Or raising our two sons and daughter and seeing them mature into adults? How time flies by so fast. I thought bringing the children over would make him smile again, especially on this special day. I hope he does.

The ringtone of our Home Holo Transceiver III beeps from the kitchen.

"Lily. Check on your dad, won't you please? I think this call's from Albus." I say, skidding across the tiled floor with my cane and worn out slippers.

I remember my son's repetitive "Father"s as I drop the Holo Transceiver onto the floor.

Lily and Aries' heartbreaking cries. My age failing to betray me as I ran to the bedroom, clutching my husband's fallen hand. The forgotten chime of the oven, our dinner cooling like his warmth, like the fire that burns in my heart.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

_Dearest Alistair,_

_I'm on my way to the Turkish battalion as I write this. Mud covers me from head to toe, and my penmanship is none-too-intricate with the bumpy road ahead. I'm thinking of you still. You'll be following up a year later; to stand at the same place as I have and to fight the same battle as I am, given this war drags on. I just hope from then on that you are safe._

_ There are cuts along my legs and my hands have gone calloused from holding my Winchester every now and then. I still cringe at the sound of firearms. When I see a fellow comrade lying still on the ground it makes me fear that one day I may see the same fate._

_But I promise you that will not happen._

_ In my dreams I see your smile; my silent prayer each night. We'll be together soon. Despite or forbidden romance, I promise you, once this is over, we'll travel to many places; see the world. I will not cease to exist until I hear your voice, singing to me every night, laughing the laugh that gives me hope. In return, promise me you'll survive this war with me. _

_I'll always be with you, so don't lose hope._

_ I love you and I'll definitely come back to find you._

_Your one and only,_

_Maximus_

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Just hours before I receive angel wings, my silver eyes stare blankly at the whiteness of the ceiling. Everything smells antiseptic. The holographic clock on the wall makes a ching sound as it ticks, signalling the quick passage of time. Sixty-nine and still here on earth, three years without Harry. I can't wait to meet him again.

My last will's been written and the children are happy, because both Harry and I made sure they could survive well on their own. We thought them many, many things. How to take the perfect DSLR picture. How to draw. How to persevere and keep on going; how to live a life with several dreams.

My time is almost up. They say when you're near death, you could see flashbacks of your life before your very eyes. The important events, and even the unimportant ones. I see Lilly's conception, eyes green like her father's, piercing into mine with child-like innocence. Albus'' first words and Scorpius' first time walking; the day Harry and I got married. My first phone, my first school certificate.

But I also see my dreams.

Hazy, distorted images of old and new - coloured worlds of war and women with parasols.

Glimpses of brick houses with red-roofed tiles; of blemished wood and abstract-patterned quilts a substitute for curtains.

Another boy.

_Boys._ And three of me, too.

Alistair, Haiden, Edmund, holding the hands of Maximus, Nicoli, Liam.

We look like them.

I see emerald orbs rivalling the hues of freshly cut grass, as with mercury grey just like the coming of twilight. Ebony hair, wavy in the whispers of the wind, as with soft strands of straight blonde hair. Freckles next to a stubbled face. A lightning-shaped birthmark just above his eyebrows, and a visible one on the other's left arm.

Us.

I see us.

I remember now; the dreams I've been getting have been all about us.

It's no wonder Harry was familiar. He's been with me all along.

Four different centuries and still together; I wonder how all this happened without a miracle.

But I'll forget it soon, won't I? Just like I always do before I die.

I want to remember the comet we saw in 1911. I want to remember our strife in graduating on 2014, writing him letters sent with love from the war I fought in 1954.

_I will remember... I will remember... I will remember... because when one thing ends, another begins._

I close my eyes and embrace the coming white light.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"Lukas! Get up! I can't believe you're not up yet! Your online class starts in thirty minutes! Goodness, the hardships of a mother..."

Year 2111. I rub sleep out of grey orbs and yawn, exhausted.

...I've been waking up to the strangest dreams lately.


End file.
